The Finnish Meteorological Institute's figures show that April 2017 was colder, wetter and snowier than average, confirming the gut instincts of most of those who reside in Finland.

April was unusually damp and cold in Finland, according to the weather stats released on Tuesday by the Meteorological Institute (FMI). Across most of the country the temperature was between one and two degrees lower than average.

In the south you have to go back to 2013 to find a similarly frigid month, in the centre of the country 2003 was the last time it was this grim, and in the north it hasn't been so cold and snowy in April since 1998.

In 2017 April began warmly, but a chill set in towards the end leaving even southern regions shivering under regular snow showers. The month was also unusually damp, especially in central regions. In the Kainuu, in the north-east, there was twice as much precipitation as there is on average.

"Exceptionally, there was snowfall almost nationwide on the last day of the month," read the FMI press release. "The last time there was some snow on the ground in southern Finland was in 2014 and 2007."

This week provides something of a respite, with temperatures forecast to rise above ten degrees Celsius every day, with sunshine poking through the clouds to add more of a spring-like feel.